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Hardy, Love: Let's be fair, not fast

jvarsallone@MiamiHerald.com

Jeff Hardy and Angelina Love are two talented individuals in unusual situations.

Hardy has turned his life around, maturing and soaring to new heights in WWE. Love has helped elevate women's wrestling to new heights with her stellar work in TNA.

Both have made headlines recently -- for other matters -- on Internet wrestling sites, blogs, forums, dirt sheets and gossip shows.

How times have changed.

Back in the day, you would read these situations, when it was corroborated by at least three official sources.

These days, one unnamed source, disguised voice, is good enough to share with the world -- whether the wording or noise is accurate, exaggerated or inaccurate.

OK, a series of follow-ups, updates ensue, until finally the story may be accurate. That's not good enough, and that's not journalism.

Hardy, who took a break from the ring after his WWE contract recently expired, was arrested by the Moore County Sherriff's Department on Friday, Sept. 11.

Here is the statement the Moore County Sherriff's Office released.

``Sheriff Lane Carter reports the arrest of an individual on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steroids.

``Sheriff Carter reported a joint investigation conducted by officers from the Moore County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit, Moore County Sheriff's Office Select Enforcement Unit and Fayetteville Police Department led to the arrest.

``Officers executed a search warrant at a residence located at [address deleted] near Cameron, North Carolina. During the search officers located and seized approximately 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills (prescription pain pills), 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia. Vicodin and anabolic steroids are included in Schedule III within the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act.

``The estimated street value of the drugs seized is $2,500.

``Arrested was: Jeffrey Nero Hardy, 32 years of age, Cameron, North Carolina.

``Jeffrey Nero Hardy was arrested on September 11, 2009 and charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

``Jeffrey Nero Hardy received a $125,000.00 secured bond and was placed in the Moore County Detention Center.''

Hardy responded on his Twitter. ``The media is the media. I wish they would at least report the story correctly and accurately. I will make a statement later.''

In response to the TMZ website, he also wrote: ``For the record, Matt [Hardy] didn't bail me out, loan me money or use his name on anything.''

I want people to realize the difference between good journalism and the media and others.

I know something about journalism. I studied journalism in school. I've learned from professionals. I've worked for several media outlets and publications including The Miami Herald.

Just because you can cut and paste does not make you a journalist nor member of the media.

So those making and taking opinions and treating them as fact or running information without fact checking does not make that person a journalist or media member.

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